---
name: "public-inbox-imapd"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "public-inbox"
version: "1.9.0-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/public-inbox-imapd"
---

# public-inbox-imapd(1)

IMAP server for sharing public-inboxes

## NAME

public-inbox-imapd - IMAP server for sharing public-inboxes

## SYNOPSIS

```
  public-inbox-imapd [OPTIONS]
```

## DESCRIPTION

public-inbox-imapd provides a read-only IMAP daemon for public-inbox.  It uses options and environment variables common to all [**public-inbox-daemon**(8)](/public-inbox-daemon/8.md) implementations.

Like [**public-inbox-nntpd**(1)](/public-inbox-nntpd/1.md) and [**public-inbox-httpd**(1)](/public-inbox-httpd/1.md), `"public-inbox-imapd"` will never require write access to the directory where the public-inboxes are stored, so it may be run as a different user than the user running [**public-inbox-watch**(1)](/public-inbox-watch/1.md), [**public-inbox-mda**(1)](/public-inbox-mda/1.md), or [**git-fetch**(1)](/git-fetch/1.md).

## OPTIONS

See common options in "OPTIONS" in [**public-inbox-daemon**(8)](/public-inbox-daemon/8.md). Additionally, IMAP-specific behavior for certain options are supported and documented below.

- \-l PROTOCOL://ADDRESS/?cert=/path/to/cert,key=/path/to/key

  - \--listen PROTOCOL://ADDRESS/?cert=/path/to/cert,key=/path/to/key

  In addition to the normal `"-l"`/`"--listen"` switch described in [**public-inbox-daemon**(8)](/public-inbox-daemon/8.md), the `"PROTOCOL"` prefix (e.g. `"imap://"` or `"imaps://"`) may be specified to force a given protocol.

  For STARTTLS and IMAPS support, the `"cert"` and `"key"` may be specified on a per-listener basis after a `"?"` character and separated by `","`. These directives are per-directive, and it's possible to use a different cert for every listener.

- \--cert /path/to/cert

  The default TLS certificate for optional STARTTLS and IMAPS support if the `"cert"` option is not given with `"--listen"`.

  If using systemd-compatible socket activation and a TCP listener on port 993 is inherited, it is automatically IMAPS when this option is given. When a listener on port 143 is inherited and this option is given, it automatically gets STARTTLS support.

- \--key /path/to/key

  The default private TLS certificate key for optional STARTTLS and IMAPS support if the `"key"` option is not given with `"--listen"`.  The private key may be concatenated into the path used by `"--cert"`, in which case this option is not needed.

## CONFIGURATION

`"public-inbox-imapd"` uses the same configuration knobs as [**public-inbox-nntpd**(1)](/public-inbox-nntpd/1.md), see [**public-inbox-nntpd**(1)](/public-inbox-nntpd/1.md) and [**public-inbox-config**(5)](/public-inbox-config/5.md).

- publicinbox.\<name\>.newsgroup

  The newsgroup name maps to an IMAP folder name.

## CONTACT

Feedback welcome via plain-text mail to \<mailto:meta@public-inbox.org\>

The mail archives are hosted at \<https://public-inbox.org/meta/\>, and \<nntp://news.public-inbox.org/inbox.comp.mail.public-inbox.meta\>, \<nntp://4uok3hntl7oi7b4uf4rtfwefqeexfzil2w6kgk2jn5z2f764irre7byd.onion/inbox.comp.mail.public-inbox.meta\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2020-2021 all contributors \<mailto:meta@public-inbox.org\>

License: AGPL-3.0+ \<https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.txt\>

## SEE ALSO

[**git**(1)](/git/1.md), [**git-config**(1)](/git-config/1.md), [**public-inbox-daemon**(8)](/public-inbox-daemon/8.md), [**public-inbox-config**(5)](/public-inbox-config/5.md), [**public-inbox-nntpd**(1)](/public-inbox-nntpd/1.md)